Abstract: "The world of engineering education and research is evolving rapidly from one that has been primarily discipline based to one driven by cross-cutting interdisciplinary work that is more responsive to societal needs and challenges. This talk will describe how various entities in the U.S. such as the National Academy of Engineering, the National Science Foundation, and the American Society of Engineering Education have driven this change and how it has impacted both the research and educational directions of a major U.S. College of Engineering. The talk will also provide thoughts on the relevance of these changes to engineering education and research in Latin America as well as future directions."